‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the hull, creatures were frantically stirring, and it was anything but dull. Some sailors were tucked away safely in beds, reminiscing of sugar plum fairies dancing above their heads. For Team GOSH, Christmas Eve was not a night of peaceful dreams and bedtime tales, it was one of freezing winds, frigid waves, and five-points-of-contact upwind sails.

It was a different sort of Christmas, one that will linger in memories for years to come. Instead of family, festivities and fireplaces, Team GOSH started the day woken by panicked shouts at 3:20am. After a long few hours of a very wet on-deck experience, we were convinced the day had been ruined before sunrise. Morale was low, thoughts of greener pastures and better coffee floated through our minds as the crew endured wave after wave slamming over the bow and down our collars. But, determined to turn the day around, Team GOSH set about chasing off the grim conditions with fuzzy hats, fairy lights, and a French-press.

After wringing out rivets of water soaking our clothes and hair, hysterical giggling came through the companionway accompanied by Mariah Carrey’s infamous Christmas anthem. The high note was hit over cinnamon apple pancakes and salty smiles. The heavy conditions had not deterred our boat, twinkling tinsel tied to the trunking turned forlorn faces into an energetic crew.

This was the first holiday season away from home for almost all of Team GOSH. Everyone was missing home a bit, feeling a mixture of guilt and sorrow for spending the day away from family and annual traditions. But, though the day looked a bit different from a conventional Christmas, it quickly became a day that we’ll not soon forget. We whistled songs of winter wonderlands while whisking up a lunchtime feast. We shared secret Santa presents as our skipper slid down the mast in a suit. We popped non- alcoholic prosecco and portioned Christmas pudding paired with praying the dawn would bring more peaceful predictions.

Christmas day was not spent indulging in Mom’s homemade cooking, or watching the snow fall outside the windowsill beside a cozy fire, but it was spent with family.

Over months of hard work, shared resilience, and at times – let’s be honest – downright misery, a different kind of family has formed. Beyond learning our drink orders, we’ve learned backstories, family histories, and individual reasons for tackling this massive personal challenge. We’ve remembered music preferences, which of us want chili flakes with every meal, pet’s names and who’s supporters will be awaiting us in port. We’ve sat with one another while crying tears of frustration and exhaustion, we’ve laughed until our bellies felt the strain of joy, we’ve spent countless quiet hours comfortably contemplating the night sky – together as a team.

Our little boat family was formed subtly; a type of bond you don’t initially notice, then suddenly realize is so special. These people have not-so-quietly wedged their way into daily routines and created comfort despite the uncomfortable. Their infectious laughter and unconditional understanding are concepts that did not exist four months ago but now are difficult to imagine existing without. What this team is accomplishing, and the trials and tribulations we endure to achieve our goals, is something almost impossible to describe without experiencing it firsthand.

It’s blistering heat and bone chilling cold, exhausting nights of large waves and little sleep, it’s zero personal space while living inside a washing machine. It’s finding the little moments of light between hard earned miles gained and waking up to hearing your teammates’ cheers.

Team GOSH is a tribe unbothered by age, gender, or nationality, a bond not easily broken by distance or time. We’re a family, albeit an unconventional one, but a family nonetheless. We care for, check in on, and look out for one another beyond the usual expectations of a colleague or acquaintance. There’s a certain sense of pride when stepping aboard our boat, in being a part of this team. And with that pride sets the standard for how new teammates are enveloped and initiated, how we move forward together towards our shared goal.

We might have celebrated the holiday season and rang in the New Year together, but our time on Team GOSH is far from over. As we continue on this race, each of us with differing reasons for being here and dreams to achieve, with oceans still to cross and thousands of miles to go, only one thing is certain for our future: that we will do all of it –

together.